Zig Zag #24

It has been six months since I started this zig zag writing project. Yes, I can’t believe it either. Six months! That’s a hockey season right there!

When this started, my intention was to reflect and share the stories that I’ve gathered along the way in order to accept the path I’ve been on and the choices I made. This has become a bit more than that.

More than just acceptance, it has been a letting go of sorts. A shedding of skin. I had to get these stories out of me to make room for new stories and new adventures. It’s not like I’ll never revisit or talk about these things ever again. I’ve just given them a place to live outside of my brain and my heart. For better or worse, this has been a highlight reel for the first part of my adult life. Now it’s onto the next. And that’s why, for the moment, this will be my last zig zag post.

It’s time to get out there and dive into new adventures. Meet new people. Try new things. Explore. Be present and grateful. Collect more writing fodder. Fill up 40 more notebooks/journals. Yes, there is a time and a place for rest and recovery, but it is a temporary state. I have better tools now to handle whatever comes my way. I've learned how to say no and create healthy boundaries. I’ve done some healing and some major forgiving, of myself and others. I’m more emotionally mature, and, dare I say, a little bit wiser than before.

There is still much to learn, create and experience. I’m ready and excited to get to it.

In one of my very favorite motivational speeches/books, Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture, he talks about creating “head fakes” as a teacher. He says the best way to teach someone something is to have them think they are learning something else. It’s a head fake. It seems I’ve created a head fake for myself. Yes, I set out to learn acceptance and letting go, but the head fake here is I’ve determined I have more power than I realize to inspire others. My hope is that by reading about my journey so far, you’ve taken some time to do some of your own navel-gazing and think about how you want to live your life.

Randy also brilliantly stated, “Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories and they will figure out how those stories apply to them.”

I agree with Randy. I can’t tell you how to live your life. But I hope in some small way, you feel a little bit more inspired to create your own zig zag stories after reading mine. That you've given some consideration to how what I've shared applies to you. This will look different for everyone. One story at a time.

What's next for me? I’m committing more to carving out my place in the fiction writing world. To commit to making a go of it. To become a better fiction writer. Now that I have cleared my mind and heart of a big chunk of my own story, I have a revived creative motivation to hang out in fictional worlds I stir up. Will I share that too? Yes, but the medium is still TBD. Here. There. Or somewhere else. We’ll see where this new journey will take me. That’s half the fun, right? ;)

Thank you so much for your time and attention over the last six months. It means the world to me that you took the time to stop and read my stories. There have been some doozies, without a doubt. I have nothing but gratitude for anyone who stopped by for a bit. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

I hope you are creating a beautiful life out there. One that feels good and true to you. One that's bursting at the seams with so much love, laughter, and joy. Maybe we’ll meet again on a Sunday around a campfire and catch up on this zig zag road, eat some s'mores and, of course, swap a few stories.

Until then, this is my wish for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrA3mm7bLxM

Cheers to the zig zag life. Until next time. ;)